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CNN Sunday Morning

U.S. Has Reportedly Discovered Chemical Weapons in Afghanistan

Aired November 11, 2001 - 07:15   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. has reportedly made an unsettling discovery in Afghanistan. The "New York Times" reporting today, the U.S. has identified three Afghan sites that may be producing chemical weapons.

Kathleen Koch is at the Pentagon with the government's take on the claim.

Good morning to you Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Martin.

And the article actually claims that while the U.S. knows about these three sites that it has not bombed the three sites -- one of them being a research lab in a small village east of Jalalabad, Afghanistan; one being a fertilizer factory in Mazar-e Sharif and then the third being an anthrax vaccine facility in Kabul.

Now, we've asked the Pentagon about the report. It is looking into it, but really has no comment on it at this point.

Now, of course, the prospect of actually bombing during any war, potential chemical or biological weapons production facility is very problematic. If such production is actually underway, you run the risk of releasing toxins that could potentially threaten the lives of innocent civilians, of opposition forces or of your own ground forces in the country. If such production is not underway, then your country could face criticism for wrongfully bombing a civilian facility.

Now, if you'll recall that's what happened back in 1998 when President Clinton ordered the bombing of a pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum, Sudan, believing that it was connected to the al Qaeda terrorist network. The U.S. had intelligence reflecting that. Well, it turned out later that that intelligence was apparently incorrect.

Then, of course, there is the issue of if such a facility is bombed, the building is actually reduced to rubble, will you ever be able to find out exactly what was going on inside? And of course, now, with opposition forces controlling Mazar-e Sharif, the United States has a better chance of potentially, at least, getting inside this fertilizer factory in that city and finding out what actually is being produced inside -- Martin.

SAVIDGE: Kathleen, the report of these chemical plants comes at the same time that Osama bin Laden is claiming that he has access to chemical weapons. Does the Pentagon see a connection here?

KOCH: Well, obviously, there -- anyone hearing these reports from Osama bin Laden would believe there may be a potential connection. But we have learned not only when it comes to Osama bin Laden's claims but the claims of the Taliban that they are suspect often and certainly not confirmable. But this will obviously increase the Pentagon's efforts and the United State's efforts to find out exactly what is going on in these facilities and to handle them very carefully before taking any direct action against them -- Martin.

SAVIDGE: Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon. Thank you very much.

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